This invention relates to containers formed of integral one-piece plastic bottles suitable for use in the distribution of milk, water, carbonated and non-carbonated beverages, other liquids and free-flowing particulates, the containers including a handle that is movable between recesses in the sidewall of the container and an extended position protruding beyond the sidewall of the container.
Containers for flowable products, such as liquids and granular products, have been formed of plastic by a variety of methods. For example, plastic containers have been molded to form an integral container body, neck finish and handle. Other plastic containers have been formed with an integral container body and neck finish, and a separate handle later attached to the container body after removal from the blow mold. Still other plastic containers have been formed by positioning an integral handle and neck finish in a blow mold, whereby during blowing of the container body (from a separate preform placed in the blow mold) the handle and the neck finish become attached to the container body. The blow molding process can include both extrusion-blow molding and injection-blow molding. Some containers have used a different plastic material for the handle than for the container body for reasons such as strength, color, aesthetics or cost. Some containers have also provided a separate handle that is attachable post-mold to the formed container.
Little attention has been paid to considering the formation of such containers to allow for a change between a compact conformation during shipping and storage, and a more user-friendly expanded conformation during use by the end consumer. What is needed is a container having handles that can be stored in a non-extending manner and, when needed by the consumer, deployed for easy handling of the container.